Milling machine



g- 20, 1963 J. MULLER 3,397,616

MILLING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6, 1965 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ni d S a es- Pe n9f ABSTRACT OF .THE mscLosunu A milling machine has a maincolumn'p'rovided with a vertical guideway on its front face'aud aspindle stock at its top. A knee supporting a work table moves -ver-3,397,616 Patented Aug. 20, 1968 a spindle stock 14 displaceable in afront and rear direction along horizontal gu ideways 15. The spindlestock coutains the usual conventional horizontal spindle, the front endof which is indicated in general at 16. Another horizontal guidewayextends along the top of the spindle stock 14, in a direction parallelto the guideway 15, and on this second guideway there is movablymounted, in a front to rear "direction, a second spindle stock 18 whichcarries a spindle head 20 provided with a. spindle 21. The spindlehead20,is rotatable in the conventional manner about a horizontal axis,parallel to the above mentioned horizontal guideways and intersectingthe axis of the tically on the guideway on the main column. In, front ofthe knee and spaced forwardly from the main'colunin is a verticallyextending stationary bracing sltructure'having a vertical guideway onits rear face engaged with'a vertical guide part on the front face ofthe kne'e,'to give added stability to the knee. Handwheelsare'rnounted'on the front of the vertical bracing structure,for'performin'g various adjustments such as thevertical 'adjust'ment'ofthe knee and the horizontal adjustment of thespindle'stock, thesehandwheels remaining always ata predetermined convenient elevationnotwithstanding upward'ar'id' downward movements of'the knee and worktable. A counterstay for a spindle head has asupporting post which issupported from the vertical bracing structureand which can be droppeddown at least partly into a socket in the vertical bracing structurewhen it is not in'use.

' This invention relates to a milling machine, and more particularly toa milling machine of the type iiiWhich the work table is supported froma vertically adjustable spindle 21. Therefore the spindle 21 is notnecessarily always in a vertical position, but may be turned to variousangular positions. However, it is quite frequently used in a "verticalposition and is commonly referred to, in a machine of this general type,as the vertical spindle.

I Extending up and down'the vertical front face of the column :12 arevertical guideways 22, along which moves verticall'ya knee 24 which canbe raised and lowered by means of the feed screw or feed spindle 26. Theknee 24 carries on its top a work table 28 for carrying the work piecewhich is to be operated upon by t-ools mounted in either or both of thespindles 16 and 21. The work table 28, carrying the work piece with it,may be displaced in a longitudinal horizontal direction by anyconventional this structure 32 carries vertical guides 34 which matehaving simple and satisfactory means for increasing the;

rigidity of the knee and therefore of'the work table carried bytheknee.

Still an'other'object is the provision, in a milling 'nia chine of theknee type, of rigid means serving the'double' purpose of promotingrigidity in the knee at any des ired vertically adjusted positionthereof, and at thesame time furnishing a supportfor handwheels or"other control's which can remain at a fixed elevation at the heightmost convenient to the operator, regardles'sof the upward and same timeanchoring a counterstaysupport when the counterstay is in use, andcontaining the support when the counterstay is not in use.

These and other desirable objects may be attained'in the mannerdisclosed as an illustrative embodiment of the invention in thefollowing description and in the accompanying drawings forming a parthereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, somewhat schematic and with parts brokenaway, of a milling machine in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe invention; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of certain portions of the machine shown inFIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the machine of the present invention, inits preferred embodiment, comprises a rigid base 10, and a rigid column12 rising from the rear portion of the base. On the top of the column 12is with corresponding guide portions at the front of the knee structure24. On the box 32, preferably on the front face thereof, there aresuitable control members or manipulating members such as the handwheels36 and 38. For example, the handwheel 36 is connected by bevel gears andshafts, as shown schematically in FIG. 1, with a handwheel 36' mountedon the side of the column 12, and with a worm 40 which, by means of awormwheel 42, drives the vertical feed screw or feed spindle 26 for 3adjusting the height of the knee 24 and work table 28.

Similarly, the handwheel 38 is connected through shafts and bevel gearswith a handwheel 38' on the side of the machine column 12, and withconventional feeding means including, for example, the worm 46,Wormwheel 48, and screw feed spindle 50 for imparting forward andrearward horizontal movements to the spindle stock 14. Since the controlmembers 36 and 38 are mounted on the stationary box structure 32 ratherthan on the vertically movable knee 24, these control members remain ata constant elevation and such elevation can be designed to be at themost convenient height for the operator. Thus he can easily operate thecontrol members at all times, overcoming the disadvantage experienced inconventional machines of the knee type, where the control members, if

- carried by the knee, are likely to be uncomfortably low when the kneeis in a relatively low position and uncomfortably high when the knee isin a relatively high position.

The box structure 32 may be provided with a vertical socket or opening51 in which a vertical post or support 52 may be seated when desired.This post 52 serves to support the forward end of a counterstay or brace54 for the vertical spindle head 20, when it is desired to use such abrace for giving greater rigidity to the spindle head. A suitable clamp(conventional per se) clamps the post 52 in its elevated position whenthe counterstay is in use, and permits it to be dropped to a positionwholly or mainly within the socket 51 when the counterstay is not beingused.

With this construction, the rigid box structure 32,

rigidly connected with and preferably integral with the base 10, servesto give added stability to the from or the machines in which the kneehas a column of circular cross section to assist in supporting it nearits front end.

Such circular columns are found in practice to give very little strengthor rigidity against horizontal torsional forces. The massive box-likestructure 32 of the present invention, however, having a relativelylarge area in plan or in horizontal section, gives adequate supportagainst horizontal movement of the front end of the knee, and thus, incombination with the rear guideway 22, holds the knee rigidly againsthorizontal torsional movements. At the same time, such a massivebox-like structure serves admirably as a mounting place for mounting thecontrols and operating elements such as 36 and 38, which are always at aconvenient height as above explained. Also. suitable clamping means(conventional per se) may be used to clamp the front of the knee to theguideway 34 on the box 32, in any adjusted elevation of the knee, whengreater stability in a vertical direction is desired.

The present construction is distinguished basically from machine toolsin which the work table is not supported on a vertically adjustable kneebut, rather, directly on the bed of the machine. In such machines (i.e.,machines of the bed type) there is no necessity of additionallysupporting and stiffening the support of the table, because the worktable is directly on the bed. Also, in such machines it is immaterialwhether the parts which carry the control or operating elements are ofgreater or lesser rigidity. But when dealing with a machine of the kneetype (that is, one in which the work table is carried by a verticallyadjustable knee) the rigidity of the knee under the disprojectingforwardly from said guideway and having its rear side guided for upwardand downward movement along said guideway, a work table carried by saidknee, and a tool spindle mounted on said column and adapted to carry atool for operating on work carried by said table, characterized by'ftheprovision of stationary upstanding ri'gid means at the front of saidknee, "said'means having tat-"vertical guideway onifs rear side forengaging the front side of said knee to give to, said knee addedstability against displacing forces,feed screw means for moving saidknee vertically, a handwheel mounted on the front side of saidupstanding means, and shaft and gear means for operatively connecting said handwheel to said feed screw means.

2. A milling-machine of the type comprising a base, a machinecolumnrising from said base and having a vertically extending guideway,a vertically movable knee projecting forwardly from said guideway andhaving its rear side ,guidedfor upward and downward movement along saidguideway,. a work table. carried by said knee, and a tool'spindlemounted on said column and adapted to carry a tool for operating on workcarried by said table, characterized by the provision of stationaryupstanding rigid means, at the front of said knee, said means having averticalguideway on its rear side for engaging the front s'ide of saidknee to give to said knee added stability against displacing forces,feed screw means for moving the position of said tool spindle relativeto said machine column, a handwheel mounted on the front side of said I3. A milling machine of the type comprising a base,

a machine column rising from said base and having a placing forcesencountered during the machining operation by mounting the controlmembers at a fixed elevation on a rigid box-like structure which at thesame time serves as an additional support or brace for the knee,particularly resisting horizontal displacing forces to which the kneemay be subjected.

It is seen from the foregoing disclosure that the objects and purposesof the invention are well fulfilled. It is to be understood that theforegoing disclosure is given by way of illustrative example only,rather than by way of limitation, and that without departing from theinvention, the details may be varied within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A milling machine of the type comprising a base, a machine columnrising from said base and having a vertically extending guideway, avertically movable knee vertically extending guideway, a verticallymovable knee projecting forwardly from said guideway and having its rearside guided for upward and downward movement along said guideway, a worktable carried by said knee, a tool spindle mounted on said column andadapted to carry a tool for operating on work carried by said table, aspindle stock in which said tool spindle is mounted, and a counterstayfor bracing said spindle stock, characterized by the provision ofstationary upstanding rigid means at the front of, said knee, saidmeanshaving a vertical guideway on its rear side for engaging the front sideof said knee to give to said kneeadded stability against displacingforces, said upstanding rigid means having an opening therein, and avertical support mounted on said upstanding rigid means for supporting apart of said counterstay, said vertical support being arranged so thatit may be loweredinto and received at least mainly within said openingwhen it is not in use for supporting said counterstay.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,991,915 2/1935 -Wallset al'-20.s 'FOREIGN PATENTS 136,100 10/1929 Switzerland. 1 521,317 5/1940Great Britain.

FRANCIS S. HUSAR, Primary Examiner.

